good sport

good sport

Someone who is good-natured or amiable under circumstances that are unpleasant or not ideal. I know you're disappointed to have lost the game, but try to be a good sport, OK? Thankfully, they were good sports about all our teasing.
See also: good, sport
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

(a) good sport

someone who can accept a loss in a competition or can accept being the butt of a joke. Bob is usually a good sport, but this time he didn't seem to appreciate your joke.
See also: good, sport
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • be a sport
  • grin and bear it
  • take a joke
  • able to take a joke
  • good-natured
  • twinkly-eyed
  • good word
  • regular guy
  • regular brick
  • regular fellow
References in classic literature
She says the pal is a good sport, which sounds all right--' Bill admitted that it sounded all right.
The Good Sport was, so to speak, an outsize in Good Sports.
'I'm sure,' said the Good Sport, languishingly, like a sentimental siege-gun, 'that if I had ever met Mr Chalmers before I shouldn't have forgotten him.'
The Good Sport said she was crazy about Englishmen.
The Good Sport said that she was crazy about the English accent.
Looking back on the evening later and reviewing its leading features, Lord Dawlish came to the conclusion that he never completely recovered from the first shock of the Good Sport. He was conscious all the time of a dream-like feeling, as if he were watching himself from somewhere outside himself.
As for the Good Sport, she was larger, blonder, and more exuberant than ever and she was addressing someone as 'Bill'.
Perhaps the most remarkable phenomenon of the evening, as it advanced, was the change it wrought in Lord Dawlish's attitude toward this same Good Sport. He was not conscious of the beginning of the change; he awoke to the realization of it suddenly.
Captain Nemo thrust his head into the helmet, Conseil and I did the same, not without hearing an ironical "Good sport!" from the Canadian.
"There, sir, as you are always thinking of good sport, yonder is just the thing for you!"
You've treated me to some good sport, and I won't forget you."
Bring the boy here; thou shalt bid him farewell, then thou shalt slay him with thine own hand ere thou thyself art slain; it will be good sport to see."
There's good sport there if the water be not too high.
It was a good sport. And the spirit of bull-fighters was in our blood.
"Good sport, gentlemen?" The big things answered by bowing and waving their flippers like the Frog Footman.